Signaling apparatus



NOV- 11 1952 R. M. SHOWERS ETAL 2,617,380

S IGNALING APPARATUS Filed'April 25, 1948 3 sheets-sheet 1 i 'l I I lili-15% NOV 11, 1952 R. M. SHOWERS ETAL 2,617,380

SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Ill-.gg u @7a 7a 'r4 I 4 6e el uyf' "T 4 INVENTORJ Fal/bh M. Jhouenr Hill- NGV. 11, 1952 R. M. SHOWERS ETAL SIGNALING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 23, 1948 Rai/9% M L//oweff Patented Nov. 11, `1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNALING APPARATUS Army Application April 23, 1948, Serial N0.-22,756

6 Claims.. (Cl. 116-67) The present inventionrelatesto signalingapparatus such as disclosed in the application of Showers and'Chambers, Serial No. 759,580, led July 8, 1947.

As stated in said application, when canisters and other'cargo are discharged 'from airplanes while in flight, as under Wartime conditions, or in inaccessible territory at any time, it is highly desirable `that some audible signaling device be associated with the packages so that they may be'readily located by the intended receiver on the ground. It is Valso desirable that the signaling device continue to operate 'over a considerable period of time so as to :afford the ground personnel suiiicient opportunity to locate the package, kand this without liability of attracting the attention of the enemy if wartime conditions prevail.

It is an object of the .present invention, as in the one referred to above to provide a delayed action in the signaling apparatus as well as an intermittent action, but additionally it is 'an object of the present invention to provide a more compact device and one havingrmore flexibility in the initiation of operation of the device as well as inthe time interval between signals.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will 'be apparent from the 'following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the novel Ysignaling apparatus with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

.Figure'B'ls a sectional View, on .a reduced scale on line 3 3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View through the pulsing and time-.delay mechanism;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the pressure regulator;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 1 1 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional View through the filling and releasemechanism .in valve opening position, the opposite `*position being ,indicated in dotted lines;

Figures 9 and l0 are sectional views taken on the lines 9 9 and Ill-I0 respectively of Figure 8; and

Figures ,11 and 12 are detail views of the release-operating mechanisminrclosed and released positions.

Before describing the structural features of this invention in detail the essentialelements-will be briefly referred vto in their yrelation yto each other. Thetank containing the compressed fluid for operating the audible signal is of annular foi'm'and is 'indicated generally by the numeral l. The space inclosed'by thetank Iis vspanned by a .plate 2 which forms a foundation v'for the various operative elements yof the Vcombination andwhicharegall supported within the -space encircledaby theitank `I.

Leading from the main tank I is a ppe3 which communicates with theinterior of the release and charging mechanism generally indi-- cated'by the -numeral'I and extending :from this mechanism is a pipe 5 leading tothe interior of a pressure regulator 6. From the interior of the regulator T6 a -pipe 'l extends to the interior yof the pulsing and time-delay mechanism -generally indicatedby the numeral 8. Alsocommunicating with the interior vof the pulsing and -timedelay @mechanism 'as vby means of pipe 9 is an auxiliary tank lil from which the pressure uid is allowed t'o `feed to thewhistle or other audible signal H. From an linspection of Figure 2 it will be noted that the pipes 3, '5 and l as well as parts of the mechanism with Awhich they are associated, including the Iwhistle Il, extend below the base vplate S2 and to protect theseelements va plu'- rality of downwardly extending arms I2 are riveted or otherwise'connected to Vthebase 2 and are united just below the whistle ll by means of the centrallydisposed disc I3. The signaling device may be provided with -a pairof straps or other securing means i4 mounted vat diametrically opposite points on Ythe exterior of the main tank l so rthat the unit may be readily attached 'to Va canister or other package being discharged :from

.the airplane.

`The feeding and release mechanism which sis designated generallyby the numeral 4 and shown in `detail in VFigure 8 is mounted on the base plate Zand comprises a-cylindrical member'Zll vhaving anopen'lower end seated upon afgasket A2 l ymounted in an lannular receiver V22 secured to the "base plate. 'Threaded to the interior of the member 20 is `a cylindrical element 23 provided with a conventional'type of tire valve 24 at its upper end and -extending through the base plate '2 at `its lower end where it is rprovided. with a lateral opening to receive an end of the pipe '3. Encircling the lower end of the tubular member 23 is a cup-shaped member 25'provided with a lateral opening to receive one 'end of the pipe 5 which leads to the pressure regulator and the upper end of this cup-shaped member` extends upwardly through the base plate 2 and communicates with the interior of the tubular member 20 by means of a passageway 26 extending downwardly through an enlargement on the tubular member 23.

This tubular member 20 is provided with a circular enlargement at its upper end from which radiate a pair of xed pins 21 and which serve as guides for a vertically slidable sleeve 28 which is provided with diametrically opposed slots 29 to receive the guide pins 21. This sleeve 28 is normally biased downwardly toward the base plate 2 by means of a coil spring 30 which bears at its upper end against the circular enlargement of the tube 20 and at its lower end against an inturned ange 3| on the lower end of the sleeve.

Threaded to the interior of the upper end of the slidably mounted sleeve 28 is a disc 32 provided with a centrally located and downwardly extending pin 33 which is adapted to pass through the enlarged head of tube 20 and to be received in the upper end of valve element 24 to move the valve from its seat. A gasket 32 on the under side of disc 32 cooperates with a conical seat 33 on the upper surface of the head of tube 20 to seal off the escape of uid through the head when the valve 24 is opened by the insertion of pin 33. The operating means for setting the sound device in operation consists of a bifurcated rod 34 xed to the exterior of the member 28 as indicated by numeral 35. This rod is provided with an offset portion extending through the plate 2 and with an extension 34. A latch 36 pivoted to a guard arm l2 cooperates with the extension 34' to normally hold the rod 34 in raised position as indicated in Figure 11, and consenuently prevents opening of the valve 24. A cord 36 secured to the latch 36 provides the necessary means for releasing the latch when the signaling apparatus is to be put into operation. The released position of the` latch is clearly indicated in Figure 12, and it will be obvious that the valve 24 may be readily closed by raising the rod 34 and swinging the latch 36 to the position indicated in Figure 11. When the arm 34 is raised and held in raised position by the element 36 the pin 33 will be removed from the valve 24 as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 8. When, however, the arm 34 is released by operation of the element 3S the spring 30 will force the sleeve 28 and arm 34 downwardly and will thus force the/lower end of the pin 33 into cooperative relation with the valve 24 so as to remove it from its seat and permit the compressed fluid in the interior of tube 23 to escape and pass downwardly through the passageway 26 to the interior of the cup shaped member 25 and thence to pipe 5 and to the pressure regulator 6. When it is desired to rell the main tank I this operation may be accomplished by unscrewing the tubular member 20 and removing it and its related parts from the valve element 23-24 thereby giving access to the valve 24 so that an ordinary pressure nozzle may be applied thereto for the purpose of recharging the tank I with the particular uid employed to supply the mechanism.

As heretofore mentioned the pressure regulator is indicated generally by the numeral 6 and is shown in detail in Figure 5. This regulator comprises upper and lower cup shaped members 45 and 4l threadably connected as indicated by the numeral 42 and having clamped between them a exible diaphragm 43. Formed centrally of the member 40 is an upward tubular extension 44 in which is mounted a compression spring 45 having its lower end seated in a cup 46 supported on the diaphragm 43 and its upper end in engagement with a disc 41 threaded into the upper end of the sleeve 44 and providing means for adjusting the compression spring on the upper side of the diaphragm. The lower member 4l is provided with a centrally disposed and downwardly directed tubular member 48 provided with a transverse partition 49 adjacent its upper end. This partition is provided with a circular passageway 50 (Figure 6) through which extends the squared rod 5l into engagement with a valve 52 which latter is adapted to cooperate with the partition 49 to shut oir the passage of uid from the interior of the tubular member 48 to the interior of the pressure regulator. This valve element 52 is normally biased toward its seat by means of a compression spring 53 which has its upper end in engagement with the valve body and its lower end in engagement with a plug 54 threaded to the interior of the member 48. A guiding and supporting member 55 of hexagonal cross-section is secured to the upper end of the rod 5l and is slidably mounted in the circular portion of the constricted upper end of the tubular member 48 and contacts the lower surface of the diaphragm 43. By reason of the hexagonal shape of the member 55 in cooperation with the circular interior of its guiding support the pressure fluid passing upwardly around the squared rod 5| may also pass around the hexagonal member 55 to the interior of the pressure regulator and thence through the pipe 1 to the interior of the pulsing and time-delay mechanism 8. It will be understood, of course, that when the pressure on the underside of the diaphragm 43 exceeds that for which the springs 45 and 53 are adjusted the diaphragm will be raised and permit the valve body 52 to engage its seat and thus prevent the admission of further fluid to the interior of the regulator.

The pulsing and time-delay mechanism 3 is shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4 and comprises a cylindrical block of metal 60 provided with circular depressions 6I in its upper and lower ends. These cavities are inclosed by upper and lower caps 62 and 63 which are also provided with cavities in alignment with the cavities 6l so as to provide pockets or chambers for upper and lower diaphragms 64 and 65 which are clamped between the caps and the ends of the body 60 of the pulsing and time-delay device.

The pipe 1 is connected to the body member 60 by means of a coupling G5 which communicates with a horizontal passage 81 in the member 60. This passageway 81 communicates with a vertical passageway 68 in the body member 6D leading to the upper pocket 6I, and with a horizontal passageway 69 in which is mounted an adjustable Valve 10. The passageway 69 is provided with a narrowed inner end 1l and this passage is controlled by the valve 10. The passageway 1l communicates with a vertical passage 12 which latter communicates with the upper pocket 6|. The lower end of the passage 12 communicates with a horizontal pocket 13 in the body member E0 and in which is mounted an adjustable valve 14. The horizontal pocket 13 is provided with a narrowed exit 15 the extent of opening of which is controlled by the valve 14 and this narrowed passageway communicates with a circular pocket 1G which in turn communicates with a coupling 11 for the pipe 9 which leads to the auxiliary tank I0. Extending downwardly from the circular pocket 1B is a passage 18 communicating with the lower pocket or chamber 6 l The diaphragm 5t normally seats upon the upper end of a tubular extension 8i] surrounding the passageway 53 and thus seals this passageway. Upon the upper side of the diaphragm 5t a circular metal disc 8l is secured and the disc and diaphragm are normally pressed against the tubular extension Sil by 'means of a coil spring 82 positioned in a metal tube 83 threaded into the cap 52 and extending outwardly therefrom. The lower diaphragm 55 normally seats upon the outer end of a circular extension 5&3 on the lower side of the body member til to seal oil communication between the passage i8 and the interior of extension Sii. This diaphragm is provided with a circular metal disc 85 on its lower surface which disc is engaged by a compression spring S55 mounted in a whistle element l l threaded into the lower cap 53. rlhe diaphragm e5 differs from the diaphragm in that it is provided with a central opening through which extends a hollow tubular member 33 which provides communication between the lower pocket 6i and the interior of the whistle member il, and the latter is provided with exhaust opening t9 in its lower end.

In the operation or this element of the signaling apparatus, that is, the pulsing and tiniedelay device, the pressure iluid enters through the passage l the opening of which is controlled by the adjustable valve 'lil and passes up through the passageway 5E to impinge against the lower o surface of the diaphragm et. A small amount or' the fluid pressure, depending upon the adjustment of valve lo, also passes through the passage il downwardly through the passage l2 past the adjustable valve ifi into the passageway l5, pocket it, coupling Tl, pipe il, to the auxiliary tank lil. When the pressure against the under surface or the diaphragm titl builds up to the maximum for which it is adjusted the diaphragm rises against the pressure or^ the compression spring il? and the uid may then travel at a much faster rate from the pocket El and the full length of the passage i2 to the auxiliary tank iQ. It will be understood, of course, that the whistle cannot operate until the lower diaphragm S5 is removed from its seat on the circular extension (lll and this movement cannot take place until pressure is built up in the auxiliary tank suiciently to move the diaphragm from its seat. Thus the relatively slow feeding of the pressure huid through the passageway ll provides for a delayed action of the whistle at the initiation of the operation when the operating lever 3Q is moved to open the valve 2d in the release and lling mechanism il. When the pressure builds up in the auxiliary tank l u to the degree required to depress the lower diaphragm the latter will be moved from its seat and a modicum of the fluid pressure will escape from the pocket iii past the lower edge of the tubular extension Sli and thence through the hollow tubular member E3 to the whistle il to sound the signal. This escape of rluid reduces the pressure in the reserve tank ill and also on the upper side of the diaphragm 65, and the spring SS will cause it to seat upon the lower end of the tubular extension 81 to shut oi operation of the whistle until pressure again builds up in the auxiliary tank suflciently to repeat the operation. This operation of the diaphragm 55 provides a pulsing action which in turn produces an intermittent whistling sound both of which will continue until the pressure in the system as a whole drops below that required for operating the diaphragm S5 or until the lever :ifi is operated to withdraw the pin 33 from its operative relationship with the valve 2li.

The operations of the various elements have been described in connection with the description of the structural details of the elements .and'need not be further dwelt upon except, ina general way as they relate to the operation ofthe signaling device as a whole.

In this general operation of the signaling apparatus it is, of course, rst secured bythe straps lf3 to vthe package to be dropped fromthe yairplane and to be later located upon the ground through the medium of the intermittent whistling action. As the package or other cargoto which the signaling device isattached is ldischargedfrom the vehicle the element 36 is operated to depress thelever `S and thereby'force the pin 33 into the valve 211 to open the same. When this operation is effected theinterior of the valve casing 23 is in communication with the main presure tank through the mediumnofithe pipe 3 and this pressure fluid will pass through the valve 2li downwardly through the passage 26 into the cap 25 and thence through the pipe Sto the pressure regulator il. As the pressure `builds up within the regulator S to raise the diaphragm Q3 the pressure fluid will pass therefrom into the pipe? and to the pulsing and time-delay mechanism S. If the pressure within the regulator 6 becomes too great the diaphragm will be raiseda sulcient distance to permit the valve 52 to `engage its seat, thereby shutting on further entrance of the pressure fluid into the pressure regulator until a sufficient amount of the fluid in the auxiliary tank l@ has been consumed so as to substantially lower the pressure within the regulator Ei. I

The extent of time-delay required in the matter of initiating the operation of the intermittent whistle may Vary under certain conditions and to provide this variation the valve member 'it is adjusted inwardly or outwardly to vary the extent of opening of the passageways 6l and?! so as to vary the time required to build up the pressure within the auxiliary tank lil to depress the diaphragm 65 and operate the whistle. It is also desirable under certain conditions to vary the extent of time between pulsations of the diaphragm 55 and the attendant operations of the intermittent whistle, and to this end the valve member 'lll may be adjusted to vary the extent of opening in the passage l5, thereby varying the time required to build up maximum pressure in the auxiliary tank l0 after each single operation of the whistle. By these several adjustments it will be seen that the overall period of operation of the intermittent whistle may be substantially varied and the initial operation of the whistle may also be varied, thereby conserving pressure iluid and permitting the ground personnel a greater period of time in which to locate the cargo to which the signaling mechanism is attached.

If it is desired to re-use the signaling mechanism the same may be recharged as hereinbefore indicated, that is, by removing the cylindrical member 20 so that a pressure hose may be applied to the valve 2t to supply the necessary pressure fluid to the tank.

In accordance with the patent statutes We have described what we now consider to be the preferred embodiment of the invention but it is quite apparent that many of these structural details may be substantially varied without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention and it is intended that all such structural altera- 7 tions be included within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An audible signaling apparatus comprising a fluid-operated sounding device, a tank of pressure iiuid associated with the sounding device for operating the same, releasable means for maintaining the apparatus inoperative, means for delaying the operation of the sounding device after the releasable means is operated, and means for varying the extent of delay.

2. An audible signaling apparatus comprising a fluid-operated sounding device, a tank of pressure fluid associated with the sounding device for operating the same, releasable means for maintaining the apparatus inoperative, means for delaying the operation of the sounding device after the releasable means is operated, and an adjustable valve for varying the extent of delay.

3. An audible signaling apparatus comprising a fluid-operated sounding device, a tank of pressure fluid associated with the sounding device for operating the same, means connected with said tank for intermittently feeding compressed fluid to said sounding device, releasable means for maintaining the apparatus inoperative, means for delaying the operation of the sounding device after the releasable means is operated, means for varying the extent of delay, and means for varying the rate of flow of the fluid to the sounding device.

4. An audible signaling apparatus comprising a fluid-operated sounding device, a tank of pressure uid for operating the sounding device, means connected with said tank for intermittently feeding compressed fluid to said sounding device, releasable means for maintaining the apparatus inoperative, means for delaying the operation of the sounding device after the releasable means is operated, an adjustable valve for varying the extent of delay, and an adjustable valve for varying the rate of flow of the fluid to the sounding device.

5. An audible signaling apparatus comprising an annular tank of pressure fluid, a fluid-operated sounding device and a curved auxiliary tank snugly fitted Within the space encompassed by the annular tank, connecting means between the annular and auxiliary tanks, and means connected with the auxiliary tank for intermittently feeding a portion of the iiuid from the auxiliary tank to the sounding device.

6. An audible signaling apparatus comprising a fluid-operated sounding device, a tank of pressure fluid for operating the sounding device, means connected with the tank for intermittently feeding compressed fluid to said sounding device, releasable means for maintaining the apparatus inoperative, an adjustable valve in the feeding means for delaying the operation of the sounding device after the releasable means is operated, and a second adjustable valve in the feeding means for varying the intervals between operations of the sounding device.

RALPH M. SHOVVERS. AUGUST L. WEISBECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,132,793 Polo Mar. 23, 1915 1,187,150 Johnson June 13, 1916 1,202,305 Northey Oct. 24, 1916 1,417,168 Harris May 23, 1922 1,820,147 McCune Aug. 25, 1931 1,910,513 Yancy May 23, 1933 2,211,142 Loudon Aug. 13, 1940 2,459,267 Dwyer et al Jan. 18, 1949 

